جادكmay it rain upon you فيin القربnearness والتنائيand separation
جادك في القرب والتنائي
وسميthe season's first rain دمعيmy tears عنin place of السماءthe sky
وسمي دمعي عن السماء
May you be watered, in nearness and separation,
Your generosity in nearness and distance,
By the first rain of my tears, in the sky's stead.
Name my tears from the sky.
ياO دمنةruined dwelling مذsince نأيتI drew away عنهاfrom it
يا دمنة مذ نأيت عنها
أدمنpersisted جفنيmy eyelid علىin البكاءِweeping
أدمن جفني على البكاءِ
O ruined dwelling, since I drew away from it,
O the one I yearned for since I distanced from her,
My eyelid has persisted in weeping.
My eyelids got accustomed to crying.
أينwhere التيshe who أَصبحتwas in the morning وأمستand was in the evening
أين التي أَصبحت وأمست
دائيmy sickness وفيand in كفهاher palm دوائيmy cure
دائي وفي كفها دوائي
Where is she who, morning and evening,
Where is she who became my remedy morning and evening,
Is my sickness, while my cure lies in her palm?
And in her palm lies my remedy?
لولاwere it not for لحاظglances لهاof hers مراضailing
لولا لحاظ لها مراض
ماعرنتnot [unclear verb] أعينeyes النلبساءunclear as written
ماعرنت أعين النلبساء
Were it not for her ailing glances,
If it weren't for her kind glances,
Eyes would not have [unclear verb] [unclear word].
The eyes of the onlookers wouldn't have gotten wet.
بيضاءfair-skinned فيin قدِّهاher stature اعتدالٌbalance
بيضاء في قدِّها اعتدالٌ
علمهاtaught her الجورinjustice فيin القضاjudgment
علمها الجور في القضا
Fair-skinned, with balance in her stature,
White in her stature is moderation,
Which taught her injustice in judgment.
Injustice has taught her wisdom in judgment.
كأنماas though وجههاher face صباحmorning
كأنما وجهها صباح
منfrom فوقِهِabove it الجعدُcurly hair كالساهِlike [unclear word]
من فوقِهِ الجعدُ كالساهِ
As though her face were morning,
Her face is like the morning,
Above it, her curls are like [unclear word].
Above it is the curly hair like a torrent.
وثغرهاand her mouth أَبيضwhite نقيّpure
وثغرها أَبيض نقيّ
كأنهas though it were حضلةُunclear as written البهاءِsplendor
كأنه حضلةُ البهاءِ
And her mouth is white and pure,
Her mouth is purely white,
As though it were the [unclear word] of splendor.
As if it is the aura of brilliance.
فديتهاI would ransom her منof أَجلmost precious ذخرٍstored treasure
فديتها من أَجل ذخرٍ
تذخرis stored away فيin الصيدthe hunt للشتاءِfor winter
تذخر في الصيد للشتاءِ
I would ransom her—most precious of treasures,
I ransom her for the sake of a precious treasure,
Stored away during the hunt, for winter.
She stores in hunting for winter.
فيin (construction unclear) لعينيfor my eye بأنin that تراهاit sees her
في لعيني بأن تراها
ملفوفةwrapped الوجهthe face فيin كساءِa cloak
ملفوفة الوجه في كساءِ
[Unclear opening]—for my eye to see her,
I wish my eyes to see her,
With her face wrapped in a cloak.
Wrapped in a veil on her face.
لكنهاbut she عندwith منone who جميعall الدthe… (split word)
لكنها عند من جميع الد
دناworlds (completing the split word) لديهbefore him مثلlike الهباءِdrifting dust
دنا لديه مثل الهباءِ
But she is with one for whom all the—
But she is with the one whom all goodness,
Worlds are like drifting dust.
Came close to him like dust.
ذاكthat man الذيwho ماnot أزالI cease أدعواI pray
ذاك الذي ما أزال أدعوا
لهfor him منfrom اللهGod بالبقاءِfor enduring life
له من الله بالبقاءِ
That is the man for whom I never cease to pray,
The one I always pray to Allah for his survival,
To God for enduring life.
The one whose generosity at the beginning,
ذاكthat man الذيwho جودهhis generosity ابتداءa beginning
ذاك الذي جوده ابتداء
لسائليهfor his petitioners بلاwithout انتهاءِan end
لسائليه بلا انتهاءِ
That is the man whose generosity begins
Is for those who asked him endlessly.
For those who ask him, without ever ending.
Munificent, far reaching, generous,
جذلانjoyful نائيdistant المدىthe reach جوادgenerous
جذلان نائي المدى جواد
دانيnear at hand الأيادfavors غمرample الرداءِthe mantle
داني الأياد غمر الرداءِ
Joyful, far-reaching, generous,
Near in hands, immersed in gifts.
His favors close at hand, his mantle ample.
We thank him for he is benevolent,
نشكرهwe thank him أنهthat he is كريمgenerous
نشكره أنه كريم
تسكرهintoxicates him خمرةwine الثناءِpraise
تسكره خمرة الثناءِ
We thank him, for he is generous;
He gets intoxicated by the wine of praise.
The wine of praise intoxicates him.
Happy with visitors, he runs
مستبشرdelighted بالوفودby the delegations يجريflows
مستبشر بالوفود يجري
فيin وجنتيهhis two cheeks ماءwater الحياءِmodesty
في وجنتيه ماء الحياءِ
Delighted by the delegations, there flows
With modesty in his cheeks like water.
Across his cheeks the water of modesty.
I called onto him hoping, so he answered,
ناديتهI called to him راجياhopeful فلبىand answered
ناديته راجيا فلبى
نداهhis bounty دونto the exclusion of الورىhumankind ندائيmy call
نداه دون الورى ندائي
I called to him in hope, and there responded
His voice beyond all people is my call.
His bounty, alone among humankind, to my call.
Like rain while raining heavily,
كالغيثlike rain والغيثand the rain مستهلpouring forth
كالغيث والغيث مستهل
والليثand the lion فيin حرمةsanctity اللقاءِthe encounter
والليث في حرمة اللقاءِ
Like rain—and rain is pouring forth—
And a lion in the sanctity of encounter.
And a lion in the sanctity of the encounter.
If days belied me in doubt,
إنif كذبتنيbelied me الأيامthe days ظناin expectation
إن كذبتني الأيام ظنا
صدقmade true إحسانهhis kindness رجائيmy hope
صدق إحسانه رجائي
If the days belied my expectation,
His kindness affirmed my hope.
His kindness vindicated my hope.
Of a group who were known from early on,
منof معشرa people يعرفونare known قدماof old
من معشر يعرفون قدما
بالكرمfor generosity المحضunalloyed والوفاءِand fidelity
بالكرم المحض والوفاءِ
Of a people known of old
With pure generosity and loyalty.
For unalloyed generosity and fidelity.
On the brow of glory,
علىupon هامةthe crown الثرياthe Pleiades
على هامة الثريا
ماشيدوهwhat they built منof البناءِconstruction
ماشيدوه من البناءِ
Upon the crown of the Pleiades
What they built of architecture.
Stands the structure they have raised.
So O' Abu Al-Qasim listen to it,
فياso, O أباfather of القسمal-Qasm (name as written) استمعهاlisten to it
فيا أبا القسم استمعها
أرقmore delicate لفظاin wording منthan الهواءِair
أرق لفظا من الهواءِ
So, Abu al-Qasm, hear it:
More gentle in diction than breeze.
More delicate in wording than the air.
You still spend the harm and remain
لاmay you not زلتcease تفنيdestroy العداthe foes وتبقىand remain
لا زلت تفني العدا وتبقى
جمabundant الندىbounty مشرفlofty العطاءِgiving
جم الندى مشرف العطاءِ
May you ever destroy your foes and endure,
Beautiful, giver of gifts, esteemed.
Abundant in bounty, lofty in giving.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.